My friend spoiled the ending for me, so i never bothered finishing it. But to state it as the worst disappointment of the year is harsh, they included online multiplayer with free roam, taking down LCPD cops and beating hookers was fun to do it with a couple of friends. I wouldn't say it was completely perfect, San Andreas is still better in other ways, like taking over turf with AI buddies, the dating was more interactive than IV, FULL charecter customization ( even make him fat! ) the stage was huge, three cities and a countryside ( and Bigfoot ) They didn't dumb it down because of the 360 ( unless you can provide a link where a Rockstar rep says other wise ) they just dumbed it down from San Andreas. If Saints Row makes it better, than i'll be all over it. BTW that IGN review is BS, i say they got paid off, if GTAIV deserves a 10, then San Andreas deserved a 20.

I finished 3 and vice city that is all....San Andreas was a hell and GTA IV is worse...

GTA IV is in fact to realistic to be fun for me and that is sad.

1.  The above quote is the single most ridiculous thing I've ever read.  Are you saying that Microsoft, which is a company with a viable game console on the market, is supposed to NOT get games just so you don't think they're greedy?  So if you were Microsoft, you would have turned down an opportunity to have GTAIV on your console?  Get a frickin' clue, buddy. 

2.  To the dougsdad guy:  No, concessions are not always made to fit the game on a DVD when they're made for both consoles.  That's probably the SECOND most ridiculous thing I've ever read.  Not every company that makes every game is looking to fill a BluRay disc up with content.  To assume that is to highly overestimate the game industry.

 This has got to be the highest grossing, highest reviewed, lousy game ever.  I was worried I was the only one that wasn't getting into it until I saw a lot of people with the same feelings as me on this site.  I'm still completely baffled by all of the "10" scores this game got.  I had more fun with (this is NOT a joke) Super Paper Mario which I just finished.  That was the complete opposite.  I had to force myself to STOP playing it and get to bed some nights.  Can't wait to start Zelda TP.  I've been waiting to start that until I finished some other games (GTA4 included).

I guess they are still playing the game.

 Whether or not you believe content is sacrificed, other things such as compression of sound files, textures, etc. is certainly an issue.  Another factor is variety of textures and sound files.  Rather than repeating them, there can be more unique ones.  I agree that not every game needs to fill a BD.  In fact, most games don't need to yet, but to insist that the exact same decisions are made with 9 gigs of available space as are made with 50 gigs is the real misunderstanding of the industry.  May I remind you that there was a time when nobody thought any developer would fill a DVD?

the problem with GTA4 is... that everyone knew what it was going to be like, before they even bought it. same old story, some lowlife builds his way up to being a big time gangster in libery city.... i think IGN n other sites that rated it 10/10 were a bit too kind. i dont think the game is bad by any means but like Tbone above, CoD4 is back in my ps3, and i dont think GTA4 will be gettin played again for a long time.

A couple of my friends bought it but now it just collects dust in their closets.

I actually enjoyed the single player more than past itterations of the series

If you're going to blame the DVD format, please just look at San Andreas.  I don't think they were constrained by the DVD format in San Andreas.  There's a huge misconception of what consumes the most data.  The sounds and most notably the high resolution textures are what consume the most space.  Neither of which would be required to add house purchases or skydiving to the game.  Now making a much larger playable area that requires new textures and new complex models would take up a great deal more space, but you don't seem to like traversing the expansive playable area as it is.  I think you'll need to blame Take Two for having financial problems and not being able to "finish" the game.  All in all though, I enjoyed the game.  It was actually the first one I finished and I've been playing since the original top down GTA.

I will finish it eventually. I was playing non-stop until MGS4 was released. I have played it sparingly since. I have purchased other games that have taken my time away from playing it. GTA 4 is a good game contrary to what other people are saying, if you have played III, VC, SA, LCS, VCS you knew what to expect so stop complaining people.